KKR stars slam Tiwary for 'personal insecurities' following harsh criticism of Gambhir: 'Performance speaks for itself'

India and Kolkata Knight Riders' fast bowler Harshit Rana and former captain Nitish Rana have come out in strong support of Gautam Gambhir, rejecting Manoj Tiwary's recent criticism of the Indian head coach. They expressed their unwavering faith in Gambhir and his leadership abilities.

In a passionate statement on his official Instagram profile, Harshit Rana described Tiwary's comments as stemming from "personal insecurities," defending Gambhir as someone who prioritizes others over himself.

"Criticising someone due to personal insecurities is not good. Gauti bhaiya (brother) is someone who thinks more for others than himself. He always backs players when they are down and puts them in the limelight when things go our way. He has shown this on multiple occasions. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in your favour," wrote Harshit.

Nitish Rana echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that criticism should be based on facts, not personal insecurities. "Gauti bhaiya is one of the most selfless players I’ve ever met. He shoulders responsibility in times of distress like no other. Performance doesn’t need any PR. The trophies speak for themselves," he stated, stressing Gambhir role in KKR's success.

Tiwary's remarks

This support came in response to former India batter Manoj Tiwary's scathing remarks about Gambhir. Tiwary, who has been vocal about his opinions on Gambhir’s coaching methods, labeled the India head coach a "hypocrite," accusing him of failing to "walk the talk."

In an interview with News18 Bangla, Tiwary questioned Gambhir’s appointment, alleging that the former opener lacked a clear coaching philosophy.

“What is the use of a bowling coach? Whatever the coach says, he will agree. Morne Morkel came from Lucknow Super Giants. Abhishek Nayar was at Kolkata Knight Riders with Gambhir and the Indian head coach knows that he will not go against his instructions," Tiwary stated, implying that Gambhir’s influence over his coaching staff hindered genuine feedback.

Tiwary’s words came in the wake of India’s 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which also saw the team fail to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

The criticism of Gambhir, along with captain Rohit Sharma and the leadership group, has been widespread since India’s disappointing performance in Australia. Tiwary further suggested a lack of unity between Gambhir and Rohit, claiming there was evident discord between the two during the tour, exacerbated by leaks from the dressing room.

Tiwary also took aim at Gambhir's role in Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL successes, stating that Gambhir had "taken all the credit" for KKR's titles. “Gambhir didn’t guide KKR to the title single-handedly. We all performed as a unit. Jacques Kallis, Sunil Narine, and I, all contributed to the cause. But who took the credit? There is an environment and PR that allows him to take all the credit," Tiwary said.

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